Several face off in Chicago Heights mayor race
With its long history of heavy manufacturing, twocandidates for Chicago Heights mayor see the city’s future focused on clean renewable energy.
Touting expansion of traditional businesses during his tenure, Mayor David Gonzalez said his administration also is committed to developing and promoting renewable energy sources, such as solar.
The city is working with a company, Ameresco, to study the feasibility of a solar farm, and the City Council earlier this month approved a lease extension on vacant cityowned land, according to the mayor. Chicago
Heights voters in a referendum question last November supported the city’s involvement in developing a solar power facility.
The solar farm “would convert a brownfield to green energy that is environmentally friendly, renewable, andwould provide an economical energy alternative for our residents and businesses and create new jobs,” Gonzalez said.
One of his challengers, Arthur Wiggins Jr., also believes there are opportunities for Chicago Heights to be a manufacturing and distribution hub of renewable and green energy products.
He and Gonzalez are both on the April 2 ballot, but also running for mayor as write-in candidates are Joshua Deabel, Sebastian Ghiles, ClariseHall, AngelaMattio and JosephTurza.
Ghiles and Deabel, currently 4th Ward alderman, were knocked off the ballot in late December by a Chicago Heights electoral board following a hearing on objections to their nominating petitions.
Wiggins alsowas removed from the ballot by the same panel, but a state appeals court last month upheld a Cook County Circuit Court ruling that reinstated him.
“I need folks to know that I’m on the ballot,” he said.
Ghiles, who was removed by the electoral board for an insufficient number of signatures on his petitions, saw that ruling upheld by the circuit court in January, and a state appeals court later affirmed the lower court’s decision.
Wiggins and other candidates, including Deabel and Ghiles, have cited economic development and issues with city water bills among matters they would address if elected.
“Our city is in terrible decline and the citizens recognize this,” Wiggins said.
Gonzalez, first elected in 2011
and managing partner of accounting firm GW & Associates in ChicagoHeights, said that priorities for the city include economic development and job creation, street repairs and investment in storm and sanitary sewer lines. He said the city is pouring more than $6.2 million into sanitary and storm sewer upgrades to resolve flooding problems on the city’s west side, which is the first phase in a comprehensive citywide initiative.
Gonzalez noted that companies such as JMI Machining and Nortrak, a maker of railroad track components, have recently expanded their operations in ChicagoHeights. Also, he said, RelaDyne, a distributor of bulk oils and lubricants, is consolidating operations and relocating to the former Valspar paint plant on Joe Orr Road, just west of State Street.
In 2015, Gonzalez re- ceived 86 percent of the vote to win re-election while write-in candidate Robert McCoy received 14 percent, according to the Cook County clerk’s office.
He said that his “proven record” of economic development and infrastructure improvements “merits another term asmayor.”
“I have keptmy promises and have delivered results for residents,” he said.
Wiggins, whose business background includes managing automotive-related businesses, said that water bills are “not comprehensible” and that is an issue he would address if elected.
“It’s a concern thatcomes up all the time” among residents, he said. “There is a problem with both meter reading and billing.”
Wiggins said he advocates finding a new revenue source to offset high water bills and possibly investigating building a city-owned water cistern.
He said that in voting for mayor, residents “should re- view what the state of the citywas eight years ago then compare that to now” and decide “is it better, the same orworse.”
Apart from the election for mayor, Chicago Heights voters will be deciding other contested races.
In the 3rd Ward, Denise Manuel and Willie Robinson are challenging current alderman Wanda Rodgers.
In the 4th Ward, for the seat now held by Deabel, Jason Amos and Christo- pher Baikauskas are vying to represent thatward.
In the 5th ward, current Ald. Richard Amadio Jr. faces challenger George Brassea.
In the 7th Ward, John Daniel Jr. and KelliMerrick are vying for the seat now held by Sylvia Torres.
Challenging city Clerk Lori Wilcox are write-in candidates Robert McCoy and Larecia Tucker.